Why Was The Refrigerant R-22 So Popular

If you have a refrigeration system, and you have purchased it in the last several decades, it will likely have a refrigerant called R-22. It is sold under the name of Freon, a name that most people have heard of, primarily because of the many benefits that it has provided people in this modern age. When you run your air conditioner, at home, or in your car, refrigerants like this are able to keep you cool. If you have a large industrial corporation, one that uses hundreds of refrigeration units, this is likely going through all of your compressors. R-22 also is known for the many problems that it has caused. It has to do with the atmosphere. Let’s discuss what this problem is, as well as the many reasons that Freon has been so popular for so many years.

What Exactly Is R-22?

This is a chlorofluorocarbon, it chemically contrived refrigerant, one that has been used for quite some time. It was considered to be the best refrigerant that had ever been created, and was also inexpensive to produce. It is because of these factors that it was mass-produced, used in refrigeration units for decades. There were so many other benefits associated with its use in cooling systems. It had to do with its efficiency level, capable of extracting heat from the air, and allowing the systems to work very efficiently.

Problems Associated With Freon

It was not until the 1980s that a problem was first determined to be happening in the atmosphere. NASA scientists were able to determine that a large hole in something called the ozone layer was getting larger. It was detected over the continent of Antarctica, and as they began to monitor it, they saw that it was growing quite rapidly. They knew at that point that ozone was a protectorate, a layer of the atmosphere that protected everyone on the earth from harmful UV radiation. As this began to dwindle, and the hole began to expand, they knew they needed to do something very quickly. Through experimentation over the years, they were able to figure out that chlorofluorocarbons were causing the problem. These chemicals, in this combination, were able to break down the ozone. These chemicals were used in aerosol cans and refrigeration units. They realize that they could not replace Freon until they had something that was comparable. They knew that they could immediately eliminate the use of aerosol cans, changing the designed to something that you would manually pump. However, designing a brand-new chlorofluorocarbon, or something similar, was going to take a little bit of time.

The Replacement Refrigerants That Were Developed

The replacement refrigerants that were developed were numerous. There was a substantial amount of experimentation which ultimately led to some that were quite comparable. They developed R-134A, R-404A, and many others. In recent years, a business called Bluon Energy developed TdX 20, one of the best replacements that was ever made. The combination of chemicals that were used not only were able to mimic Freon, but they made refrigeration units so much more efficient. As a result of this, the companies that produced all of these materials were able to sell them, and as a byproduct, help these businesses save money. Less electricity was used in order to create the same results, and even raise the levels of efficiency.

Why Is Freon Still Popular Today?

The reason that this is still popular today is because old habits die fast. People that have been using this particular refrigerant have grown to appreciate all of the benefits that it provides. Even though they may know that it is causing problems with ozone, they are not that concerned. They also realize that unless it leaks out, it’s not going to cause a problem. That’s why it has been determined that 2020 is the final year that Freon will legally be produced and sold. This was the legal way of forcing everyone that has some type of a refrigeration system to replace the Freon with one of these other alternative products. The other reason that they were not motivated to switch over was because of the cost. They could end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending upon how many of the refrigeration units they were using with their company.

How Can You Replace R-22 If You Have It In Your Refrigeration System?

The easiest way to change out your Freon for one of these other refrigerants is to contact an HVAC company that can do this for you. Of course, there is going to be a cost, but that cost has gone down over time. This is especially true if you are going to have them replace all of the coolant that you are using in every machine that you own. There are packages that you can purchase that will come with the temperature gauges, and the replacement refrigerant so that you can do this yourself. However, it is advisable that you use a professional to do this to make sure that none of the R-22 leaks out.

Now that you know a little bit more about the popularity of R-22 from www.tdx20.net, you can see why so many people are still using this today. They will likely continue to do so until 2020 when they will not be able to do so legally. If you simply look at the replacement refrigerants that are available, you will quickly see that this could be beneficial for your business. You will save money on the cost of electricity because, at lower levels of compression, they are just as efficient as Freon. Once this is done, your utility bills will go down, and you are also doing the environment a favor. You will be lessening the amounts of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, making this a decision that will benefit everyone. Even if you are someone that really doesn’t want to change over, if this will help you generate more revenue with your business, you will likely see this as a business decision that can be helpful for company.